Curiosity and the Chicago Approach line the well-researched and well-thought-out path of today’s Real Humans: Alumni feature, Jessie Zhao, Chicago Booth MBA ’24 and current finance manager at American Express. Her curious nature, ability to discern the important details as well as build camaraderie are all reflected in her personal and professional paths. As a Chicago Booth alumni interviewer, she knows what it’s like to be on both sides, lending a richer perspective to her advice as well. Read on for how Jessie shaped her trajectory and sought out well-rounded opportunities.
Jessie Zhao, Chicago Booth MBA ’24, Finance Manager at American Express
Age: 28
Hometown: Born and raised in Shanghai, I moved to the U.S. for high school when I was 16 and have been living here since.
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Emory University – Economics and Linguistics
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration: University of Chicago Booth School of Business – Class of 2024, Concentrations: Strategic Management; Finance; Economics; Entrepreneurship; and General Management
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Company: NERA Economic Consulting (July 2019 – April 2022). Title: Started as Research Associate, promoted to Associate Analyst, and subsequently Analyst, Industry: Consulting
Post-MBA Work Experience: Company: American Express (July 2024 – Present). Title: Finance Manager (part of a Job Rotational Program), Industry: Diversified Financial Services
Why did you choose to attend business school?
It sounds cheesy, but I knew I wanted to get an MBA since I was a freshman in college. My whole family is in business, so I guess that had an impact on me, as well. However, it was not until I started my first job in economic consulting that I started to give graduate school, specifically business school, more careful thought. In this industry, it is very common for people to work for 2-3 years before they move on to get an advanced degree (e.g., master’s or PhD). I recall my team at the time had a few more tenured analysts applying to different programs, so I thought, why not pick their brains to help me figure out what’s the best next step for myself? I still remember one of my conversations with a peer/mentor – Daniel Yu – who encouraged me to think about the pros and cons of applying to an MBA versus a more targeted master’s program, e.g., a Master’s in Economics. That conversation helped me realize that as compared to a more specialized master’s program, an MBA would help me build more diverse skill sets while I explore different career paths.
In addition, upon reflecting on my professional experience, I had opportunities to work on a lot of consulting engagements in the pharmaceutical/life sciences space. I felt that I was at a pivotal point where I had to decide for myself if I wanted to be more specialized or take a step back to consider other options. With the support and encouragement from my supervisors, I applied for an MBA with roughly two years of work experience under my belt. The average years of work experience for top MBA programs are usually four to five years; I was definitely below average, but I thought it was the right move for me at the time.
Why Chicago Booth? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Why Booth? This is my favorite question to ask when I interview prospective students for Booth MBA, but I also get asked this question a lot during networking and interviews with candidates. There are a lot of aspects about Booth that really resonate with me, but a few that stand out are:
- Flexible curriculum: With an economics background, I knew I wanted to take advantage of the flexible curriculum by taking classes/subjects outside of my comfort zone. Coming in, I thought I wanted to take a bunch of strategy classes, but ended up taking classes in almost all disciplines and earned five concentrations. One of them is entrepreneurship, which surprised me the most because I never pictured myself working at a startup or becoming an entrepreneur myself. It’s funny that one of the classes I took within the entrepreneurship concentration – Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity – became one of my favorite classes. Booth is truly where you can create your own path.
- Leadership curriculum: I entered business school with approximately three years of work experience. Even though I had some informal experiences leading teams in my prior job, I wanted to learn more about different leadership styles, or more essentially, how to become a leader. Booth offers a range of leadership classes and there’s also a dedicated Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership. At Booth, I took Leadership Lab and Interpersonal Dynamics, from which I honed my own leadership style and learned how to provide as well as process constructive feedback.
- Pay-it-forward culture and diverse community: I learned about Booth’s pay-it-forward culture when I was a candidate myself. Everyone I talked to during the application process was so willing to give me their time and answer a million questions I had. When I became a Boothie and now a Booth alumna, I try to pay it forward in my own ways, whether it’s through helping first-year MBAs with their interview preparation or interviewing prospective students to shape the class. In addition, I like how diverse the Booth community is – diverse in the sense of both cultural and professional backgrounds. Meeting people from different backgrounds is truly what makes the Booth experience so unique.
In addition to the above reasons, some other factors include location and admitted students’ weekend. In fact, initially, when I applied to business schools, I wanted to stay on the East Coast because that’s where I spent the last decade. However, after visiting Booth during the First Day Weekend, I knew that’s the place where I wanted to spend my two years. I liked how lively and engaging the lectures were and how I could see myself being intellectually challenged at Booth, allowing me to become a better version of myself.
Regarding location, I was raised in a metropolitan city and have lived in mostly major cities in the U.S. I visited Chicago a couple of times before Booth and absolutely loved the city, especially during the summertime.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career?
The Booth education helped me build a solid business foundation and equipped me with the tools and mindset to think analytically and strategically to solve any business problems (this is also known as the Chicago Approach). In addition to the hard skills, I realize I utilize a lot of soft skills I learned in business school on my day-to-day. For example, how to deliver a clear, concise message; how to include your peers in conversations and let their voices be heard; and how to lead your workstreams and manage different work relationships. What I also learned from my MBA experience is to keep an open mind. I went to business school thinking about pivoting into management consulting or tech. If I were to keep my tunnel vision, I would not end up where I am today. Because I’m in a rotational program/leadership development program, keeping an open mind with an interest/curiosity in learning about different business groups has helped me land on my current team, where I’ve learned some really interesting concepts and done impactful work.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I interned as a Finance Manager within the Global Commercial Services department at American Express. I worked on two projects during my internship, both of which allowed me to build financial models and think about how they would affect decision-making. A combination of finance and strategy – two areas I’m interested in. I also really liked Amex’s culture, and I thought everyone I met was super friendly and genuine. It was a very collaborative environment where people on the team supported me and helped me tremendously to get up to speed. Amex is also a place where people care about work-life balance.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
My internship experience was definitely one of the deciding factors for me to return full-time. It was a combination of interesting and impactful work, collaborative culture, and work-life balance. Another important factor was the opportunity to be a part of the job rotational program. The program is structured in a way that managers will be on a different team within finance every year for the next three years. As someone who is new to finance, I like the wide exposure to different business units, which will allow me to figure out my own interests. In addition, I value the opportunity to work with leaders with different styles as well as build my network with teams and colleagues. Lastly, location – I was in New York before business school, and it is nice to be back in the city again.
Advice to current MBA students:
—One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Keep an open mind and stay organized during the process. Job search can definitely be a stressful process, but staying organized can help you go a long way. For example, building a tracker to jot down all application deadlines and record application status can ensure you do not miss the deadline of a company you really like while juggling school, recruiting, and other priorities. I know a lot of us come to business school with very clear goals, but keeping your options open will not hurt.
—One thing you would change or do differently as part of the job search?
One thing I wish I did more during the process was to comb through my own thoughts to figure out the best job search strategy for me. There are so many resources at Booth – the career center, second-years, newsletters, professional clubs, peers, etc. It’s easy to be flooded with information and get lost in them. I think it’s important to take a step back and reflect on what works best for you – not what works for your friends, which makes you think it’ll also work for you.
—Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
I can’t think of any surprises during Amex’s recruiting process. We want candidates who are genuinely interested in the opportunity and have spent time learning about our business.
—What piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
FOMO (fear of missing out) is expected, but don’t let it dominate your decision-making process or determine what kind of person you want to be and what path you want to pursue.
